Okowa warns traders, residents against harbouring criminals

                   Delta State, Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa

• Inaugurates Gardens, farmers’ market

In a bid to place more security checks in Delta State, Governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa, has warned residents of the State, particularly traders against harbouring criminals because it was a source of security risk to the entire state.

Okowa issued the warning while inaugurating Gardens, farmers’ market with facilities such as water borehole, toilets, among others sited at the popular Abraka Market at the Asaba axis of the Benin-Onitsha expressway.

The Governor urged shop owners to reciprocate government gesture by taking ownership and protecting the facilities from vandals.

It will be recalled that as part of an effort aimed at transforming the area, the state government through the Delta State Capital Territory Development Agency, (DSCTDA) reclaimed it and converted some parts of it to the farmers’ market and gardens.

The market is on a land measuring about 12 hectares near the River Niger Head Bridge, where the majority of non-indigenes, especially Nigerians of northern extraction, sell their foodstuffs has been relocated to the government.

The Governor, represented by the State Commissioner for Energy, Mr Basil Ganagana, applauded the State Capital Territory Development Agency for its commitment to accomplish the Asaba master plan and beautify the environment.

The Governor, while inspecting the new market site on the 12 hectares of land, commended the Arewa community and other traders for their cooperation during the relocation from the Abraka area.

The Director-General of the Agency, Mrs Amaechi Mrakpor, while conducting the Governor round the projects, disclosed that the purpose of the farmers’ market was for residents to buy immediate needs without going too far. Mrakpor said: “You know there are some petty items that naturally should be allowed. So we got approval for the Smart Delta Farmers’ Market for petty traders to serve a purpose of for instance you do not need to go to the market for your onions and egg for breakfast.

“Here used to be the notorious suya joint and there is where we used to have an illegal motor park. At both places, every criminal thing was going on but we have successfully converted them to give a facelift to the environment.

“The original design of the capital territory has a provision for gardens at every entry point to Asaba. But the miscreants converted them for illegal use.

“So we tried to reactivate them after reclamation, for the original use. We dismantled the illegal motor park. All the miscreants that we hitherto have here have moved on as a result of this beautification”.